


A Home at the Magic Store

by pinkevilbob



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, F/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:53:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27269770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkevilbob/pseuds/pinkevilbob
Summary: Jester stumbles upon a most unusual shop and its equally interesting owner.
Relationships: Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 16
Kudos: 83





	A Home at the Magic Store

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a post about magic shops appearing like those Spirit Halloween stores do, and I had to write this.

The shop had appeared out of seemingly nowhere. It was definitely not there the day before, but to be fair, neither was the Halloween store that took over where the old grocery store used to be. So Jester didn't see any harm in going in.

A cat mewed as Jester entered the shop. It was ancient and brown like it had been there forever from the times when you could tell homes were actually made out of wood unlike its sleek modern neighbors. Jester had to give whoever ran the place points for theming. More shops should follow its example. Bottles in all sorts of shapes and color lined the walls. Books in stacks cluttered the floor, but none were in any language that Jester spoke.

"Can I help you?"

With a surprised squeak, Jester spun around to see a man standing behind her. He was of average height(which still meant that he was at least half a foot taller than her), wore a scruffy brown coat, and his shoulder length auburn hair was partly pulled back into a ponytail. A bengal cat lounged on his shoulder. "I'm just looking," Jester said.

"You must need something if you are here," the man said. "This is a shop of needs."

"Nope!" Jester said cheerfully. "I mean, I still might get something, but I'm not looking for anything in particular. What do you sell here anyways?" She couldn't tell just what kind of store it was.

The man eyed her carefully. "Those who enter this shop have concerns on their minds. Something that they need fixing."

Jester tapped her chin giving it some thought. "Nope! I'm doing pretty good right now. Wait, 'things that need fixing'? Are you a hit man?"

"What?" The man looked completely taken by surprise. "Never. Nothing here is deadly."

"You sure? Cause I think you can kill someone with one of the big books if you hit them hard enough with it," Jester said.

The man smirked. "Ja, but anything is deadly if you look at it that way. But, nein, none of the solutions I sell involve mudrer."

"So you're a problem solver?"

"In a way, ja," the man said. "Perhaps you have a problem that needs solved."

Jester shook her head. "Not that I can think of. I mean, my weasel Sprinkle has been snippy lately, but I think that means I either need to play with him more or less."

"There is nothing I can do to help with that. I only know about cats when it comes to animals." He frowned, scratching his cat under its chin. "Are you truly certain you don't need anything?"

Again Jester shook her head. "Just window shopping. Do you always ask everyone who comes in here this many questions?"

"Nein, only customers can enter here, and I can always tell exactly what they want and what they need," the man said.

"Don't you get window shoppers?" Jester asked. "It's super common."

The man shook his head. "Not in this shop. Only customers can enter." There was a firmness to his voice that could not be budged.

Jester tilted her head. "Really? So this is an exclusive membership place?"

“Nein. If someone needs something that only this shop can provide, then they will find this shop,” he said.

She paused. "Wait, like magic?"

A grimace. "Ja, magic, but I try not to make a big fuss about it.”

“So this is a real honest to goodness magic shop?” Jester bounced up and down on the balls of her feet hardly able to keep in her excitement.

“Ja, a real honest-to-goodness magic shop,” the man said, sounding a little tired, but most people around Jester did after a few minutes. “But that still leaves the question of what are you doing here.”

Jester shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t really need anything.”

“But that would be impossible. The spells here are kept up to date. They should only allow those who need this shop to see it,” the man said.

“Maybe you need something,” Jester said. “Yeah, you need something and I can get it for you. So like if you’re hungry or sick, I can get you a sandwich or some medicine.”

The man paused for a moment and then shook his head. “I’m fine. I’ve got everything I need here.” He swept his hand indicating the shop.

“But it must get lonely here,” Jester said. There was an emptiness to the store.

“I have Frumpkin,” he petted the cat, “and I have Not- I mean Veth. She has moved, but that’s fine.”

Jester put her hands on her hips. He was a stubborn one and probably the type to dig in his heels if she tried to press the point. She relaxed and smiled. “I’m Jester.”

“Caleb. Widogast,” he said.

“So, Caleb,” Jester said as she sat down on the counter, “how are we going to figure out what I need?”

He frowned in confusion. “We?”

Jester nodded. “Yep. We. I mean it’d be easier if I keep coming by to help you. And it will be fun like a puzzle.”

“A puzzle.” Caleb sighed, but he was smiling too. “I suppose we don’t have a choice.”

“Maybe if I spend enough time here, you’ll be able to figure it out,” Jester said.

Caleb nodded. “I don’t see the harm in that.”

Jester grinned. They were going to become friends in no time; she knew it. And once they’re friends, she’d be able to realize just what Caleb needs. Caleb didn’t know it yet, but Jester was going to be just what he needed.


End file.
